You Think You're Worthy?

Heavy footsteps gradually approached from afar. An unbridled, wildly domineering presence surged into the sky like billowing beacon smoke.

At the location of one of the nine Crystal Keys, a dozen or so Outer Mansion disciples stood confronting one another, waiting for the best moment to take the key.

But this sudden, intensely aggressive presence made them all frown and turn to look.

They saw Yue Rong walking toward them at an unhurried pace, his expression so calm it bordered on indifference. His loose black robe stirred slightly in the invisible waves of air, and his entire body exuded the towering pressure of a mountain.

He ignored their hostile, warning gazes.

Yue Rong walked straight up to the Crystal Key, bent down, and reached for it!

"You dare!"

"Put that down!"

"Courting death!"

The balance shattered in an instant. The dozen or so Outer Mansion disciples around him attacked Yue Rong simultaneously.

Vicious light blazed in the eyes of the dozen or so Outer Mansion disciples as they struck together without hesitation!

In an instant, Sword Qi screamed through the air and Law Techniques flashed brilliantly, interweaving into a destructive vortex. Bearing the terrifying might to crush everything, it viciously tore toward Yue Rong at its center!

Fierce winds surged, sending Yue Rong's wild long hair whipping about. His bronze eyes shifted, and an excited smile curled his lips.

"You want a fight? Then come!"

His palms slammed together, and Yue Rong's body abruptly swelled. Billowing ferocity erupted unchecked, dense golden fur poured out from beneath his skin like a tide, and mysterious beast markings appeared on his face. A savage presence from the primordial wilderness burst forth!

In an instant, he transformed into a terrifying great demon with a lion's head and a humanoid body.

"Hahaha! Come, come, come!"

Laughing wildly, Yue Rong stepped forward, cracking the ground beneath his feet!

His entire body instantly became a black blur too fast for the naked eye to follow. He smashed through the terrifying vortex sweeping toward him and charged straight up to an Outer Mansion disciple.

Sharp claws tore through the air with a shriek that could split metal and stone.

Before the man could even scream, his protective spiritual light shattered like paper. The tremendous force sent him flying backward, and his body burst apart in midair, turning into countless drifting black feathers-eliminated!

The remaining disciples sucked in cold breaths, their scalps tingling.

Surrounded and attacked, this man had actually broken through their formation by force and instantly killed one of them?!

This fighting strength... was simply horrifying!

Shit, a real hardass had shown up!

"'Demon-Devouring Great Law.' They say that back when Black Mountain True Person was at the Qi Refining Stage, he once relied on this method to battle nine opponents of the same realm, ultimately winning a costly victory.

"A Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivation, and he's cultivated such a marvelous method.

"With fighting strength like that, who could stop him?" He and Shen Fan beside him quietly watched Yue Rong whip up a bloody storm among the crowd.

These disciples, who were considered outstanding even in the Outer Mansion, were nothing but clay chickens and pottery dogs before him. Almost none could withstand a single exchange, and one after another, they dissolved into black feathers amid piercing screams or muffled grunts.

In less than half a minute, all dozen or so Outer Mansion disciples attacking Yue Rong had been defeated.

Hiss-

Two streams of scalding white vapor shot from his nostrils. Still unsatisfied, Yue Rong leaped up and headed straight toward the next Crystal Key.

He would gather all the Crystal Keys in a single push.

There was one last day left.

Qi Yun raised his head and glanced at the firmament overhead, where ten rather dim stars had originally hung.

Every so often, one would disappear, marking the end of a day.

Now, only the final star remained in the sky.

Only one day remained in the assessment, which also meant that the delicately balanced situation was about to break.

Just as Qi Yun was wondering which of the people before him would lose patience first and make the opening move,

a figure suddenly came racing over from afar.

Trying to swoop in and steal the prize?

Watching the man run past him, Qi Yun tilted his head slightly, a thought stirring in his mind, but soon frowned.

Could it be...

The instant suspicion arose in Qi Yun's mind, the man racing over with all his strength shouted at the top of his lungs:

"He's coming to snatch the Crystal Key!"

He?

Who?

Was this little bastard diverting the flood toward someone else?

In an instant, question after question rose in everyone's minds, Qi Yun included.

Boom!!!

As though to answer everyone's doubts,

a massive black shadow, wreathed in sky-high killing intent and a thick reek of blood, fell from the sky like a meteor and crashed heavily into the center of their view.

"That's..."

Before they could make out his face, everyone's gaze focused on the string of Crystal Keys tied at his waist.

"One, two, three, four... eight?"

Seeing that Yue Rong actually had eight Crystal Keys on him, everyone's face flashed with astonishment.

Then they immediately understood.

This man intended to gather all nine Crystal Keys, kick everyone else out, and claim first place for himself!

Slaughter!

Without a single wasted word, Yue Rong, already red-eyed from killing after seizing eight keys in succession, charged straight at the nearest Outer Mansion cultivator. With a swipe of his claws, he smashed the man's protective Law Technique.

A Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivation, coupled with the extraordinary art, Demon-Devouring Great Law.

Yue Rong's fighting strength already stood in a class of its own. Although fighting fiercely for so long had taken a heavy toll on him,

his fighting strength remained overwhelming.

After effortlessly slaughtering this final small wave of Outer Mansion disciples, Yue Rong bent down and picked up the last Crystal Key, billowing heat rising from his body as he panted heavily.

Clap, clap, clap-

Smiling broadly and clapping in applause, Du Yunian and Shen Fan arrived belatedly.

"Brother Yue, your heroic might is unstoppable. First place in this assessment belongs to none other than you."

Hearing Du Yunian's flattery, Yue Rong tilted his head slightly and watched the two men before him, the corners of his mouth slowly rising.

Bang-

Without any warning, a punch smashed Shen Fan into a skyful of black feathers.

The smile froze on Du Yunian's face. He stared at the black feathers slowly settling beside him, his expression stunned.

"Brother Yue, you... aren't we on the same side?"

Looking down at Du Yunian before him from above, Yue Rong spoke indifferently, his eyes impassive:

"You think you're worthy?"

As though struck by lightning, Du Yunian went pale. With his inner residence connections, when had he ever been subjected to such contempt and humiliation?

"You..."

Bang-

Another punch. Watching the black feathers gradually scatter, Yue Rong suddenly sneered.

"You've been watching for so long. Still not planning to come out?"

He discovered me?

Qi Yun's expression tightened. Instinctively, his fingers formed a sword seal, but he did not rush to reveal himself.

He had great confidence in his current [Clear Breeze Technique].

Though this man's cultivation and fighting strength are high, his cultivation realm hasn't surpassed the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, and there aren't any fluctuations from a Law Artifact specifically meant to counter concealment...

There's no way he could see through me!

As his thoughts raced, Qi Yun keenly caught the crucial detail.

Although Yue Rong sounded certain, the beast eyes sweeping his surroundings held a barely perceptible hint of searching.

He's bluffing!

Realizing this, Qi Yun chuckled softly. One truly could never underestimate any cultivator of the Holy Sect.

Someone careless really would have been bluffed into coming out.

Seeing that there was still no movement around him after a long while, Yue Rong relaxed slightly, took a deep breath, and released the Demon-Devouring Great Law. His terrifyingly massive body gradually returned to normal.

But at that very instant!

Two streaks of pale blue Sword Qi flashed into existence out of thin air!

Aimed straight between his brows!